Dear Santa and Birthday Dog?!?,

We were thinking about Christmas and how quickly it will be here (I have to keep reminding myself since the weather is anything but winter around here) anyway, we were thinking about how this is Ari's 2nd Christmas but really more like his 1st since he was mostly asleep and only a few weeks old the first time around.
Ari got real excited and wanted to make his Christmas list for Santa and his birthday list for....
Who do you make a birthday list for- Easter has a bunny, and Christmas has Santa, and Thanksgiving turkey, Halloween has the great pumpkin, new years baby, Uncle Sam and the 4th of July and on and on and on - but what, or who is our patron "emblem" of birthdays - ???
and so it was decided - the Birthday Dog - perfect (oh Berkelee how we miss you)

So that being decided and finalized - here it is... Ari's 1st Birthday/ Christmas letter

Dear Birthday Dog and Santa ( I hope you are not offended that I didn't write separate letters, that is a lot to do for someone who is busy scaling the furniture for my next adventure) any way ...

Dear Birthday Dog and Santa ....

How are you guys doing? Santa how is Mrs. Claus treating you? Birthday Dog how are the flees? I am doing quite well - I started crawling what seems like ages ago and have been walking for the last two months, agh its fantastic the things I can get into and the messes I can make. Oh and I am quite speedy, and smart - baby locks are no match for me...

I love my new home in California, the weather is so much nicer then it was in Utah, I am still in shorts, isn't that just a hoot, its the middle of November and I am in shorts... oh yeah

Well I am sure you guys are busy so I don't want to take all your time, so here is my wish list I have been a really good boy this year and I promise to be a really good boy next year too thanks
Parents remote control racer
Little Tikes poptunes guitar
Little People Racing ramps garage
Tonka Wheel Pals cars
Baby's first Blocks
V-tech V. Smile baby
Mega Blocks

Thanks,
Ari


** dictated to mom from Ari **

p.s. we love our little guy

Can you blame me . . . .

Okay I can't promise that these are the last pictures of Ari I will post in his Halloween costume- but they probably will be.... but really can you blame me?

Happy 11 Months Ari

He just gets cuter and cuter .......

 

 

 

 

Happy 11 Month Birthday Ari-
you amaze me daily - I still can't believe how big you are. I am truly blessed to have a baby like you- easy going, brilliant and strong.

Latest Ari Stats

He is still walking around everywhere and getting REALLY fast -
Ari's favorite thing to do now is climb on anything and everything
He is getting slightly better at solid foods (he likes cheerios, mini M&M's and fruit leather)
Now he likes to make clicking noises with his tongue
He is very cuddly
Yesterday Ari climbed on the scale in the kitchen and he weighed in at 17.5 pounds


I couldn't resist taking his 11 month lion pictures in costume - Ari made the cutest lion ever and looks even more adorable sitting next to his best friend the lion

I had to laugh at this- the other day we got a mailer from some baby something or other about the countdown to Ari's first birthday (yikes I can't BELIEVE its almost been a year) anyway it had this detailed checklist of things you are supposed to do to plan a 1st birthday ... apparently I was supposed to start planning this celebration like a week after I found out I was pregnant!!!! No seriously it has lists of things I was supposed to do 8 weeks before, 6 weeks before... etc etc... Agh me, here it is four weeks before the big day and I haven't book a band, designed a cake, created a gift registry, sent out invites, not to mention I haven't planned a menu, booked a venue etc, etc, etc- I gotta stop blogging - I have A LOT OF party planning to do aghm

I am not a playgroup kinda mom....

On Friday I went to the Thousand Oaks Mall to get Ari's pictures taken ( I will post a link when I get it) The Thousand Oaks Mall has a really cute play area and unlike the Simi mall it is indoor so I like it better. I figured Ari was SO GREAT for the photo shoot that he deserved to have a little time to unwind in the play area. That is when I realised I am not a playgroup kinda mom, oh yeah - and I hate kids... (no not your kids of course I like your kids, I hate other people's kids... again NOT YOUR KIDS--- LOVE YOUR KIDS

  Case in point - this little girl would not leave Ari alone, kept trying to pick him up, push him around, tell me how cute he was, tell me what he wanted ("the baby wants you to stop following us around") She was cute - but I can only politely in my "nice mommy" voice tell someone to keep their hands to themselves so many times before I actually lose it. I couldn't even take a picture of Ari without her jumping in and putting her arm around him for the photo.... Where were her parents you might ask- oh sitting in the corner of the play area with the other mommies totally ignoring all of their children who were trying to pick up Ari. Every once and a while I would here a "Jayden keep your hands to yourself" or "please don't pick up other peoples babies" but no REAL parenting.... THANKS FOR THAT


 
 

So while Ari was sort of enjoying himself - when he was actually left alone - we did not stay at the play area for very long because I was about to have a break down. Maybe I am not cut up for playgroups..... (granted this wasn't really a playgroup - I mean the other moms knew each other so maybe it was their playgroup and I invaded their space- but whatever it was I just couldn't deal with all the "little helpers" touching and pushing and picking up MY CHILD)


*p.s. That little girl was not named Jayden - names have been changed to protect the youth - and she was not the only one "playing" with Ari- she was just the only one who actually put herself in the photo....

Halloween

These pictures were taken at Trunk or Treat, the Wednesday before Halloween-
On Friday when we went trick or treating - Ari fell asleep at the second house we went to, that however did not stop me from continuing to trick or treat to atleast forty more houses (I mean awake or not - it wasn't like he was going to get the candy anyway....)

 

 

 

 

Our Man Ari

Allow me to introduce you all to Our Man Ari- he is in fact magnificent, and a dare devil of sorts. Here he is doing his death defying dishwasher climb.....

 

He practices daily - every time he hears the dishwasher open he crawls into action

 

Ari performs everyday at 15 past the hour and tickets for his dare devil show sell out quickly so be sure to make an advanced purchase- the show promises to entertain